Lay-offs hit A+E-owned Lifetime, programming VP Nicole Vogel among those leaving

A+E Global Media-owned US cable network Lifetime is making significant cuts to its unscripted team, with several staffers leaving including VP of programming and development Nicole Vogel.

Nicole Vogel

Almost everyone on the cablenet’s relatively small unscripted team has been let go, with senior VP of unscripted development and programming Miranda Bryant the only one remaining. The news was first reported by Deadline.

The cuts are part of a strategic shift to focus more squarely on TV movies, though Lifetime still has several unscripted shows coming through the pipes including the soon-to-launch The Chrisleys: Back to Reality. It also recently ordered a second season of Dr Pimple Popper: Breaking Out, with production set to begin next month with Invent TV in association with A+E Factual Studios and Not Hurting You Productions.

Married at First Sight, which had been the biggest unscripted series on the network for around eight years, moved to NBCUniversal-owned streamer Peacock earlier this year in a blow for the cablenet.

The lay-offs come after A+E Global Media was put up for sale earlier this summer by 50/50 owners Disney and Hearst Communications.

The joint owners engaged financial services company Wells Fargo to explore a sale process, though Disney and Hearst are thought to be testing the market to see what kind of valuation A+E Global could fetch. Multiple options are being explored, including a sale of A+E Global in one piece or selling assets off in parts. There is also a chance no deal comes to fruition.

A+E Global underwent a round of lay-offs almost exactly one year ago, with Lifetime’s then senior VP of unscripted development and programming Amy Savitsky exiting as a result, as well as unscripted programming VPs Kim Chessler and Cat Rodriguez.

Vogel had been with Lifetime since 2019 and was responsible for unscripted development, series and specials. Prior to that, she was director of development at WE tv.